7 Chinese investors plead guilty to disturbing Lwera wetland

The Standards, Utilities, and Wildlife court has convicted seven Chinese investors on charges of disturbing Lwera wetland by drilling.

The individuals convicted include Liang Cheng Wu, Ui Wen Hu, Lian Cheng Xiang, Hu Dong Xu, Ge Xing Liang, Zie Gong Zuo and Wang Peichuan.

Court presided over by chief magistrate Gladys Kamasanyu heard that the group and others still at large on July 8, 2024, at Kamuwunga village Magezi-Kizungu Parish, Lukaya Town Council Kalungu district, disturbed Lwera wetland by drilling it in a manner that is likely to cause environmental damage.

The conviction followed the group’s guilty plea. Sentencing is scheduled for Wednesday. During the hearing, the prosecution amended the charge sheet to add an additional count of conspiracy to drill the Lwera wetland and named Double Q Company Limited as a defendant.

During the hearing, the prosecution amended the charge sheet to include an additional count of conspiracy to drill Lwera wetland and added Double Q Company Limited as a defendant.

Initially, the accused claimed they were tourists, but they later admitted to the offences, acknowledging they lacked the necessary license for mining activities in the wetland. 

Prosecution lawyer Judith Nyamwiza called for a deterrent sentence, emphasizing the environmental impact and the repercussions for local residents. In contrast, defense attorney Grace Byaruhanga requested a lenient sentence, noting that the defendants had cooperated and not wasted the court’s time.

The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) and environmental police arrested the convicts on July 8, seizing over ten graders and other drilling equipment. This incident comes in the wake of the Lwera bridge’s collapse last year, allegedly caused by similar drilling activities by Chinese investors.

Additionally, two weeks ago, the same court found Kerim Ray, a Turkish national and director of Yamani Construction Limited, guilty of violating environmental laws.

He was charged with encroaching upon and depositing murram in the Lwajjali wetland in Mukono, Uganda. Ray was fined Shs 200 million or five years imprisonment if the fine is not paid. Kamasanyu also ordered Ray to restore the Lwajjali Wetland within 30 days under NEMA’s supervision.